#but since siffrin needs loop and loop needs siffrin... loop has no choice but to help him with more than the loops

[electrozeistyking]

Bonus Flats (for the most part)

How Can I Save You, Stardust?

[lucabyte]

I dunno if you’ve seen what’s in the isat artbook yet but there’s a mention in there of id5’s support of she/her Loop which made me think of that great post you made a while ago on Loop gender!!! Just thought I’d let ya know since that post was absolutely foundational to my personal Loop thoughts lol!

ok goofs aside lol hi. first of all: really funny that more than one of you thought of me for this. my powers. and second of all: okay ill actually give my thoughts.

alright so for the uninitiated (THIS POST) (+bonus link to it with extra additions i like) is what these two anons are talking about. It's about 8k words on my like, puzzled-out hard textual read of what i think is up with Siffrin/Loop's gender.

So, re: the artbook content (READMORE ON ACCOUNT OF ME GETTING LONGWINDED AGAIN)

The relevant passages here are pages 113, 38 and 39 (with a sidebar i want to bring up on 89).

I'm going to crop it down to only what is necessary to get to my point because adrienne doesn't want big chunks or full pages posting, so here's my little collage.

113: The page is primarily about finding ways to disguise Loop's true identity, and that's what most of the visuals on the page are about. The note I've cropped [Loop using she/her...] is on the most siffrin looking of these images, just being them sans cloak, eyepatch and hat.

This, to me, reads like the intent at the time was what eventually evolved into Loop's "Royal We" joke misdirect and their they/them only status. Consideration of, 'would just showing off a character nigh identical to sif but with "opposite" pronouns be enough to throw people off the trail?' that I would imagine evolved into just dropping the he/him, since that's more than enough to do so when you also change their appearence to be more ethereal.

*But* ArtbookCommentary!Adrienne is the one saying "She/her Loop is an incredible idea." owing to some level of affinity toward the concept in retrospect. Lends it some creator-branded 'cool points', which aren't worth *much* in terms of Quality of Textual Evidence, but certainly lends it points against being a *bad* read.

So I read this as like, while on it's own, not much more than conjecture when it comes to supporting the idea of transfemme loop-- I think as another arrow in the overall quiver it strengthens that idea that Siffrin is sticking by their he/hims as a like... side effect of how he was born/raised and sees change as something they can't do. It's less a point in support, and more a point *against* it being wrong. (It's like how in science you try to falsify things in order to prove them, y'know? Evidence *against* it being false is different to evidence *for* it being true, but it's almost better that way, sometimes??) Speaks to the idea that Loop would see those pronouns as a Disguise in some way, which to me, when paired with pages 38-39 and the dress* gives the implication that femininity is an untapped well for them. That it's new, and not something they'd do without a plausibly deniable excuse. Which continues to feed into my readings of Siffrin being amab and uncomfortable with change, even if (especially if) they want it in some way. It kind of has to be forced onto them to allow them to try it, because then it's not their choice, now is it?

*The dress is absolutely in reference to the prologue line, isn't it? it being grafted to their skin unlike the other considerations for clothes shown on the page too, aligns with this idea of Loop's body being informed by their wants/feelings about themselves in some way (distinctly inhuman, no need to eat, no need to smile anymore, yet still blind). But where canon!loop has no gendered traits to hold them down anymore, dress!loop would be more of a giveaway of their desires to at least express *some* femininity. (See: my prior essay for further thoughts on how i think that manifests, and my thoughts on it being a somewhat doylist read of the game's themes that i stand by)

(god buddy. you get deeper into the timeloop and it makes you . forget everything . about fucking everything . but the want that bubbles to the surface harder is this? loop. christ im repeating myself again go read my previously linked essay if you arent these two anons i go into way more detail.)

BUT YEAH. yeah.

I think it's a stretch to say things that aren't literally in game, and are still at most discarded exploration of character really count as Evidence for in-game reads, as they are paratext at best-- But. buttttttt buttttttt they do offer a good insight into the intent with which some things were most likely approached. like i say, it's not evidence /for/ my theory, just evidence /against/ me being on the wrong track. But yes i do feel pretty vindicated that this aligns so well with my amab nb siffrin/transfem loop trutherism. Which makes sense, given that the Whole Point of that read was to try and sleuth out the authorial intent, rather than anything else.

Like, i was following a framework in specific of (posts wikipedia screenshot for 'authorial intent')

as opposed to the equally valid Reader-Response framework (under which death of the author also falls)

which is why in that thing i stress so hard that i'm trying to abstain from my own bias (whether or not i succeed? idk. i do break my own rule for a second when pointing out how hard siffrin's fear of change resembles transfem repression in specific as i relate it to my friends and wider observations). but yeah. it was very nice that the artbook aligned so nicely since pairing my readings against the author's own literal words was always going to be the Ultimate Test™ for an authorial-intent based reading.

... oh ! and the sidebar i said i'd have.

Page 89:

get forcibly changed idiot. fucking themes lol (this was also vindicating as a 'loop stays as a star' truther which is something i tie into my themes of gender/sif not accepting change until its forced upon them. but it's not the mostest relevant to the convo without that context. but whee!)

[beneathsilverstars]

been doing research on writing plural systems for sif+loop in mundane modern aus, and i think i've got a solid idea of what i want to do! specifics may vary by au but i wanted a base set of headcanons to vary from, so sif+loop being a system can be a background fact of my au musings instead of something i have to reinvent every time.

(i'm a singlet so if any systems have concrit or thoughts they want to share i'd be happy to hear it! i'm not like planning a fic or anything currently, but it's still nice to not be working off of misconceptions for my silly little posts.)

siffrin took over as the main host in their late teens and doesn't remember anything from before that. in their early-mid 20s their work/housing situation was horrible and when they couldn't take another day like that, siffrin split into loop (who kept the mid 20s memories, with a new personality) and siffrin take two (who remembers the 17-20 era a bit better, but then there's a big gap). between the two of them they were able to cope better and hold a not-as-awful job and get a shitty apartment all to themselves!

siffrin fronts more often on average, because they're better at quietly accomplishing day-to-day tasks. but if he gets too overwhelmed or anxious (think their mini loop-backs in canon) then loop takes over, bc loop dgaf about some of the things siffrin worries about, and doesn't shut down as easily. but since they don't bottle up their feelings as severely, they're more likely to react outwardly and make rash choices like quitting their job, being rude, splurging on little treats, etc. so that's why siffrin is the default fronter for things like work and chores, when he's feeling up to it.

loop is fairly aware of what's going on while siffrin is fronting - sometimes they choose to tune more of it out, but they can catch most of it if they want to, and sometimes siffrin will talk to them or nudge them to pay attention. since they know at least the basics of what siffrin was up to, they can usually step in pretty smoothly when they need to take over! and it's very easy for them to take over, with or without siffrin's say-so, though they try to ask if it's not an emergency (and if it is an emergency, siffrin is likely trying to back away from the front anyway).

when loop is fronting, though, siffrin is entirely away, dreaming in the void. loop can nudge them for a vague opinion or relevant memory, but they can't hold a full conversation and they're not aware of what loop's doing. when loop puts them in the front again they're usually disoriented and need a moment for loop to tell them what's been happening. and again, loop is the one deciding to switch; sometimes siffrin might resist getting pulled back if they're still feeling bad, or get antsy and start reaching out if they've been asleep a while or are having bad dreams, but they're not gonna react to environmental situations since they're not aware of them.

mal is in there too but doesn't front. its role is to be socially hyper-vigilant, pointing out when other people might be upset at them so the alter who's fronting knows to fix it or avoid the person. it's been around longer than siffrin, and was helpful way back then, but now that siffrin and loop have worked out an effective balance and are fairly safe, mal's behavior is somewhat maladaptive (ha!). it's not super directly aware of the outside world like loop is, not anymore at least, but it does get secondhand memories from both siffrin and loop. it actually sometimes remembers facts and details that sif and loop both quickly forgot, because maybe those details will end up relevant to spotting and avoiding future problems - but since it got the memories secondhand and filtered them through a particularly paranoid worldview, it's likely to misremember subjective interpretations as literal truth, so you gotta take its claims with a grain of salt.

it mostly hangs out in the void imagining fractals and whatnot these days, keeping an eye on siffrin while they sleep. it occasionally perks up and chimes in with its pessimistic point of view when siffrin is really upset - it can communicate better with sleeping siffrin than loop can. loop is not on speaking terms with it because they're mad that it goes behind loop's back and makes siffrin more upset right when loop is trying to shield him from the upsetting situation. but siffrin doesn't mind it bc it's just trying to help in its own way, and sometimes it is helpful to face their fears in plain words instead of avoiding them. and siffrin will sometimes ask it for help with like, puzzles, because it's good at pattern recognition.

there's also a no-longer-quite-dormant alter that presumably fronted for much of the body's childhood. they don't hang out in siffrin and mal's void, and they don't talk to anyone else within the system. but now that the system is more safe and stable, every once in a while something will catch their attention and they'll gently push to the front and start talking. as soon as their train of thought is interrupted they're gone again, and the other alters don't even remember that they got usurped for a moment, a la siffrin's bits of telling childhood anecdotes in canon. loop and siffrin have surmised that they exist, and call them the lost one.

mal has also implied that there's at least one more dormant alter, but it's from before siffrin-and-loop's time and possibly mal's as well.

if something happens that's so distressing that siffrin retreats into headspace and loop won't take over either, the body goes into dissociated autopilot. it will follow basic one-step instructions (such as "follow me" or "eat this"), speak in a couple simple scripts (such as answering "how are you" with "i'm fine"), and complete rote tasks such as taking a familiar route home from work or going to bed. loop doesn't pay much attention because that would defeat the point / put them back in front, so they usually have very little if any idea of what happened in this state, but it is possible for outside events to catch their attention enough for them to try fronting again. otherwise they'll be back next time the body wakes up. siffrin, on the other hand, usually won't front for at least a day or two after this happens, and will likely have forgotten the events leading up to it as well.

it doesn't happen very often since it's the very last resort, after siffrin dissociating, loop taking over, and loop dissociating. loop and siffrin don't consider the autopilot an alter because it doesn't form memories, have emotions or opinions, or interact in the headspace; it just follows where it's led, by habit or outside influence. loop has argued in favor of trying to imbue it with more personhood so it's less uncanny for other people to interact with and can get loop's attention when the distressing thing is over, but siffrin argues that if it can think that defeats the point, and they'd just end up with this new alter and a new autopilot.

past all that, the specifics will depend on the exact au; particularly the ratio of loop time to siffrin time will depend on how much siffrin works and how awful their job is, whether siffrin and/or loop have friends yet, etc. but i think when they're doing pretty well they'd be happy with siffrin doing work/chores and most of the activities that they both enjoy (since then they'll both remember it), and loop fronting for maybe a third of their free time to do their own thing, and maybe here and there if something goes wrong at work. and then if siffrin starts feeling burnt out, they swap for a couple days of loop doing most things and siffrin just coming out for an hour or two. siffrin and mal probably talk maybe a couple times a month, unless siffrin is really going through it, in which case they might talk a lot for a couple days. it also might be possible for mal to eventually adapt a little more to being safe, and start providing a wider range of possible interpretations instead of just the worst case scenario.

ok that's all! and as i said, i'm totally open to feedback. :3

[aluria-sevhex]

HELL FUCKING YESSSSSSSS

hey if you wanna read all of my posts as i play through ISAT, they are all tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)

notes:

-aight i'm back yippee

-title theme my beloved

-i always find it so funny when an enemy tries to freeze Mira

-gonna try this boss again

-ok i think i'll just replay Floor 3 on this loop instead of looping forward after i find out another one of Bonnie's favorite foods so i can build up everybody's stats

-OH. BONNIE OVERHEARD THE DEATH CONVERSATION.

-heh Bonnie slapped Siffrin

-uh... the audio is REALLY ominous...

-oh, Bonnie...

-WAIT WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT DID I JUST LOOP SLIGHTLY BACK IN THE PAST?

-Siffrin you ok i don't think that was helping ur mental health issues your eye is covered in shadow in your dialogue portrait

-i will once again NOT kill Siffrin via anaphylaxis. i will take the fish head

-...i didn't. get info on Bonnie's favorite foods this time.

-ok according to the save screen that didn't count as a loop

-anyway time to try looping to get the Bonnie snack info

-hey... the Tear dialogue isn't as silly anymore (it just says yes or no without the 'looping time' or 'living time')

-hey i didn't skip any loops this time!

-time to kill this pair of assholes again

-"carry my ashes with you" aw that's a sweet dialogue option

-i am so tempted to kill Siffrin. but i won't.

-awwww... i talked to Bonnie and now Sif is comforting them

-ok how the fuck do i get the info. BONNIE PLS.

-hold up. does Siffrin no longer nod when zoning out? :((((

-WAIT FUCK DID I FORGET TO GET THE KEY ON FLOOR 2.

-...Mira's roommate. was learning to make bombs. why???

-lol Isa knows how to make a bomb

-Mira has anti-anxiety meds. this makes a lot of sense tbh

-...what are these papers for???

-so i decided to try using the silver coin since a person said that you can do something with it related to the croissant lore. and it said "you think about the Incident" or smth like that lol

-lol Sif forgot the term 'stuffed animal'

-idk why but it feels like a lot of Craft skills are like. slower. or have bigger cooldowns in Act 3. even tho i KNOW they don't and my brain is fucking with me

-ok the game accounted for the key thing

-in the bathroom again

-Sif is calming themself again and figuring out what to do

-Siffrin, self-loathing and calling yourself stupid won't help :(

-i zoned out at some minor dialogue but i don't remember what the dialogue was the first time so i am fucking clueless about what was going on with a choice i made. sorry Mira idk why i 'saved you' by smacking your mouth ;_;

-i love getting to obliterate weaker Rock enemies with Paper α V

-i have now gotten Sif to level 60

-sometimes it's nice to take a break and talk to Loop

-wait a sec. doesn't one of the lower floors have a sharpening stone?

-ok it's been a while and now i have everybody back to level 52. time to kick the asses of the 3rd floor boss

-ooo Odile got a new skill

-time for the last snack break!

-Bonnie's upset now because i didn't try the fritters D:

-time to face the King again... and hopefully talk to him

-welp. *that* didn't work

-oh nvm now i can ask him questions via the Craft menu!

-you. you can give the King the flower.

-yeah the characters have a point! why Vaugarde specifically?

-the King is NOT responsible but he says Siffrin has an odd smell. huh... the only other things where an odd smell has been noted is Bonnie saying the star crest Sadnesses smell odd... but if Sif had that smell then it would've been noticed sooner...

-dude. how rude to say that if Siffrin doesn't understand Time Craft they can't understand the King's methods. maybe i should read more on Time Craft in one of the libraries? or that one book on craftonomy...

-the "you have heard this before" for zoning out got more and more annoyed

-once again. what does the King need to say?

-hm i was talking to Odile and Bonnie piped in really excitedly that they have more pineapple in their pocket

-GOD FUCKING DAMMIT MIRABELLE I LOVE YOU BUT YOU STOPPED ISA'S CONFESSION ToT

-time to talk to Euphrasie and loop again ig

-hey what's that in her hair?

-"you inhale sharply, almost choking on the smell of burnt sugar around you" BURNT SUGAR BURNT SUGAR THAT'S THE SMELL OF TIME SHENANIGANS AS SEEN WITH THOSE SADNESSES

-SAY SOMETHING ELSE EUPHRASIE

-how do i get the familytale?

-ok i talked to Odile and i'm gonna help her!

-am i gonna have to go all over town for this?

lmao yeah i think i will

-oh hey the wizard-loving kid is named Manon

-oh my god. i have to go back to the boulanger

-FINALLY

-:O THERE IS NO RESEARCH???

-oh THAT'S why Odile is in Vaugarde

-oh... her mom left... all of her travels here have been to try to reconnect with that part of her...

-HEY SIFFRIN I AM ONCE AGAIN ASKING WHERE THE *FUCK* ARE YOU FROM?

-damn. bro has amnesia

-LMAO I ASKED MIRA ABOUT THE PAPERS AND THE BATTLE THEME STARTED

-...bonding proposals???

-oh my god Mira joined a dating website group

-"we have one of those at home"

-"oh, i don't have a type! i like all kinds of people equally!" is this in a bi way or an aro way

-YEAH AROMANTIC REPRESENTATION

-DIVERSITY WIN! THE KICKASS HANDMAIDEN WHO'S IMMUNE TO BEING FROZEN IN TIME AND THE SORT-OF CHOSEN ONE IS ARO!!! I FUCKING CALLED IT YEAHHHHHHHH :D

-oh, Mira :( you're not the problem you don't have to do anything like that you're not comfortable with

-hm this game is dealing with personal identity a lot

-:( :( :( oh, Mira...

-DIVERSITY WIN!!! THE SKETCHY WANDERER STUCK IN A TIME LOOP WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IS ACE!!!

-MY BLORBOS ARE ACE AND AROACE FUCK YEAH I AM SO HAPPY

-FUCK IT I'M POSTING NOW

SERIOUSLY THO I DON'T THINK I CAN ACCURATELY CONVEY HOW FUCKING HAPPY THIS PART IS MAKING ME. TWO OF MY FAVORITES ARE ACE AND AROACE HELL FUCKING YES

[carefreejules]

My personal headcanon of what everyone's teams might look like!

Notes will be under cut! (some Pokemon choices are better thought out than others aka some Pokemon are just chosen purely for aesthetics LOL also there's like, general ISAT story spoilers so don't read if you haven't finished the game!!)

Siffrin:

Since astronomy plays a big cultural role of the island that Siffrin is from, I'd like to imagine Jirachi is a messenger deity or something to the Universe. Maybe when Siffrin is 'running away from home' (more like rowing away from home haha), perhaps the big wish that caused the disappearance of the island used up most of Jirachi's strength and power and they just so happen to fall towards where Siffrin is in his boat, where they catch him and nurse them back to health (tho maybe Jirachi can't really make wishes anymore)

And then Siffrin gets Amnesia Blasted and suddenly forgets who Jirachi is and why they're with him now that the link between Jirachi and the island is gone

But Jirachi sticks with them like the bestie that they are

Wow I didn't mean to write so much lore LOL

Mimikyu: Cute on the outside, scary on the inside

Hatterene: just look at it LOL

Ceruledge: "The fiery blades on its arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal." Something something ghost events of past Siffrins from previous loops

Greninja: Frog ninja is fast and cool

Aegislash: "Generations of kings were attended by these Pokémon, which used their spectral power to manipulate and control people and Pokémon." I think if the King also had an Aegislash, Aegislash vs. Aegislash would be rad as fuck

Isabeau:

Sylveon: Eevee is like, the epitome of change, and Sylveon is a trans icon with those colours

Gallade: "True to its honorable-warrior image, it uses the blades on its elbows only in defense of something or someone." Protector Craft!!!!

Lucario: Isabeau is very compassionate and is pretty attune with other people's emotions (especially Siffrin's), so it's fitting for him to have a Pokemon that can read and sense people's auras

Hisuian Arcanine: Cool rock/fire dog looks cool KJAHDKAD

Milotic: another metaphor for his change!!! It takes a lot of work to evolve Milotic from a Feebas, and it took him a lot of work to craft his body into a self that he's a lot more proud and comfortable in!

Metagross: He's smart so I give him a smart Pokemon KJAHDJASD (also he's like, good at math iirc???)

Mirabelle:

Eevee: Because Mirabelle is content with who she is and struggles to want to change in ways that the Change belief encourages, I'd like to think she also has an Eevee that also struggles to know which Eeveelution they might want to evolve into

Ninetales: a reference to the ISAT fan letter thing that was done on twitter a few years ago, and one of the questions was which Pokemon each of them would have and Mirabelle said Vulpix!

Gardevoir: "It will dedicate itself to defending a master it has come to adore. Its pure white dress, reminiscent of those worn by ladies of nobility, is the dress of one who is willing to risk their life." Mirabelle is very dedicated to her role as a Housemaiden, even if she experiences doubts of herself, but it's a role she holds with pride especially if it means protecting her friends!

Audino: since Mirabelle is a healer, she needs a Nurse Joy adjacent Pokemon LOL

Sirfetch'd: The fact that she uses a rapier but is also the party's healer is sick as fuck and it's giving Celica from Fire Emblem. She deserves to had a cool Pokemon that can fight and protect like her

Chandelure: This is my magnum opus because "The Cursing of Chateau Castle" - what do castles tend to have? Chandeliers. What would CURSING castles have??? SPOOPY CHANDELIERS!!!!

Odile:

OK Odile was the hardest to come up with Pokemon for but

Alakazam: "It has an incredibly high level of intelligence. Some say that Alakazam remembers everything that ever happens to it, from birth till death." Because of Odile's sus event, the fact that she remembers every little detail of Siffrin's mannerisms to be suspicious of him, yeah LOL

Noctowl: Owls are cool and I always associate owls with scholars

Flygon: because she has a lot of type coverage, dragon-types are known to have a large type coverage as well and Flygon has like, goggles over their eyes, kind of like glasses!!

Torkoal: Turtles are slow but steady, and I feel like older folks get colder more easily so it's good to have a fire turtle around to keep you toasty!!

Spiritomb: Kind of the opposite of Flygon, in that Spiritomb has only one weakness (it didn't have any until fairy types became a thing)

(Also low mobility - ya'll should look up how Spiritombs move because it's so funny)

Froslass: Cold and unassuming LOL (also Froslass' look like they're wearing kimonos!)

Bonnie:

Nidorino: Because I gave them mostly food related Pokemon, they deserve an eventual Nidoking as a treat LOL (also an ISAT fan letter thing)

Vanillite: The first time Siffrin sees this Pokemon with Bonnie, they're like "Ice to meet you" LMAO

Bounsweet: tropical fruit Pokemon from Bambouche probably!!!

Fidough: Cute bread dog is cute

Capsakid: spicy Pokemon that Bonnie can prank Isabeau with by making him cry from spice LOL

Tatsugiri: Their sister owns a Dondozo heehee

[valictini]

I don't know much about pokemon, so I'm curious about your choices for Siffrin, Loop and Isabeau's pokemons (and if you want I would love to hear your thoughts on the rest of the cast, including the little red pokemon).

Thank you for enabling me hfisndjs Here we go!!

Siffrin

Clefable! A pokemon described as timid and generally living in isolated mountains. It is heavily tied to the night sky and the moon, and learns a lot of cool moves that remind me of Siffrin!

Follow me (redirects all attacks on Clefable), Healing Wish, Encore (forces enemies to repeat their last move), Metronome (activates a random move, pulling from every existing moves in the game, kind of reminds me of the sometimes random nature of wish craft)

None of these moves are unique to this pokemon, but I personally heavily associate them with it!

Loop

Gengar! So there's this theory that, because they look so much alike, Gengar and Clefable might have been initially designed as like, two sides of the same coin. Gengar is a ghost type, implying that it's a dead Clefable? Sorta? But it also has preevolutions that don't exactly match with Clefable's preevolutions, so it's mostly a fun theory/urban legend in the fandom at this point. And I felt like it matched well with Loop's whole deal lmao

Isabeau

Sudowoodo (and Sylveon for the trainer version) Sudowoodo's whole deal is "not what it seems': It looks like a plant, acts like a plant (literally will stand stock still to camouflage), but is actually a rock type! I kinda wanted to reflect Isabeau's façade with this pokemon, and Sudowoodo was the first that came to mind!

Also, Sudowoodo evolves from a small, very scadery pokemon whose whole deal is that it cries a lot, and it needs to be loved to evolve so. I liked the parallel with Isabeau's Change.

As for Sylveon, since in my head eevee is a popular starter choice, Isabeau probably would have gotten one too. And this eevee needs to be very very loved by their trainer to evolve into Sylveon! (And also. Trans colors. Cmon.)

The red pokemon

A shiny Jirachi! Jirachi is literally the wish pokemon, it's shaped like a shooting star and has empty wishing papers on its head ! It kinda changes depending on whether you're viewing the anime or reading the manga but when all conditions are gathered, a Jirachi can grant wishes! And when it does, the eye on its stomach opens up! (I think... forgor the lore a bit)

Also why am I calling this "their Ho-oh moment"? It's because in the anime, Ash begins his journey after seeing a Ho-oh flying high above him, granting him a blessing or something. It is a pivotal moment. I feel like Siffrin and Loop seeing a Jirachi (a shiny one at that!) would be just as significant to them.

I'm gonna stop there because that's a lot of text, but if anyone wants clarifications for the rest of the cast, pls do send an ask hxidbd

[sonicthehedgehoglover2]

I decided to collect all the information that we managed to create on this wonderful Player AU. So, let's start in order.

In this development of events, we know that the phenomenon of players was at least known (It is quite possible that the main records of this were recorded on the Forgotten Island, and were slightly related to their religion, as guides or something like that, but the details were lost, like a bunch of other things)

Therefore, in the ordinary world, either there is a whole franchise dedicated to this universe, or some kind of interworld crap. Perhaps Wishcraft is somehow mixed with this. Loop can be aware of the player's presence, communicate with us directly, thus creating an unforgettable experience, and giving both Siffrins a person on whom they can safely dump their anger (since for him, the player only appeared in order to achieve his goal of killing the King, and that's all… And basically their entire backstory)

Therefore, Mirabelle does NOT have such a guide, which confirms the fact how hopeless this entire quest was initially… And makes Siffrin admire her even more, because she managed to get to SUCH a result on her own! (Possibly increased self-flagellation of the mz for the fact that you screwed up so much that because of your mistakes you and your team needed a parasite (Guide) from the universe because you yourself clearly can't cope. After learning about Wishcraft, it becomes more or less clear that the presence of the guide also happened as a consequence of the distorted power of Vogard's desires. (And Loop's desire. I just can't imagine their mental state when they realize that even with such a huge support and with all their sacrifices it was almost not enough. They both almost lost … And all because of this stupid DESIRE (if I could I would highlight this word in red, but alas). They were literally CHANGED, Stardust literally got a BLINDING CONDUCTOR, and Loop himself as support … And still. And still … they almost repeated Loop's mistake. (And in those variations of events where the Player is more cruel to Siffrin, I can't help but imagine that Loop himself feels that this everything is deserved… If only it could be delivered to the address (Lup himself) and not Stardust. After all, the universe knows better.)

After the entity was noticed (or in other words, the 4th wall was broken) The person under their control can feel some influence, and possibly conduct some semblance of communication (I'm not entirely sure, but communication will be damn difficult) Basically, there is a nudge towards some thought or action. (The fact that Siffrin himself was constantly running even before the player's arrival is conveniently forgotten by all parties involved, allowing Sif to have another reason to behave antagonistically towards the Player (And from our player's side, somewhere from the third Act - a nudge towards the least destructive idea that Siffrin came up with this time. As you can understand, they do not have as much choice as it may seem from the outside). )

God of Change knows. I doubt details are needed at this point

Whatever the outcome of Siffrin's relationship with the Player, he will miss them (But whether it's a longing for kindness, or a longing for the feeling that whatever happened was not your responsibility, or that any damage was deserved… That will be determined by history (because even the worst things in our lives can be missed))

… I just can't help myself from giggling, because I really like this imaginary dynamic between our wild Player, who is just a stupid someone (I wonder if Siffrin's mind will label them as Audience, Prompters, or something else) and who just wants to enjoy this game and is trying to be decent to those whose lives he is playing with… And who for some stupid reason they like. Lupa, who is very bitter towards Stardust and has a grudge against the player, who abandoned them when they defeated the king and woke up in a clearing, and yet who has never been truly cruel to Siffrin. And Siffrin, who is simply having the worst time of his life.

And now I'm not sure if I want to make it so that the whole 4th wall breaking thing is unique, or that it's a common knowledge about this particular game… (And I imagine both of those facts would be funny (And just imagine if the whole fandom just kept this little secret extra so that new players could enjoy the feeling of exclusivity, only to have their dreams crushed. It would be funny and cruel, right? (Even thinking about it makes me a little sick… So I guess it's a good idea. But too cruel. But that's up to you, AU creator~) Because if it's a common knowledge… How many horrible AUs could they create :) Tee hee~ (And at least the fandom aspect is possible… I think it would be cooler if there was just a limited number of copies with such a small addition as the 4th wall, and the rest enjoyed the regular version, without any additional moral obligations)

But then again, I got a little carried away) I just love that we we create and i hope to see more of thee soon. it just so intresting! ... and i really need to do something about my giant text. i cant tell my ideas in less words sadly.

Thank you for organizing everything.

I very much want this all to be the Canon idea for theis AU thus far.

The people of the Forgotten Island were aware of the Universe and Players. Players were seen as some sort of guide for those deemed worthy - or something. (Siffrin finds a book about this in the library in the House. He can only read it after getting the Memory that allows him to read his own language).

Siffrin and Loop definitely blame the Player for their problems.

I love the idea of Siffrin thinking of the Player as a parasite. Especially if it developed over time. (Siffrin thinks of the Player as some kind of gift, but - depending on the actions of the Player - they soon see them as some kind of curse or parasite).

Loop has some kind of magical ability to interact with the Player, but there's not much they can do to stop the Player. (Not now, at least~)

The 4th wall breaking thing is definitely going to be a unique thing.

[the-bitter-ocean]

oceaaaannn hiii! let's go with 3, 5, and 15 for the isat ask game c:

(MAJOR A6SE / 2HATS SPOILERS + FULL GAME SPOILERS AHOY) Thank you for the questions @dekupalace ! Since I’m going to be talking more in depth about the game for one of these questions I’m going to put my responses under a read more:

3- favorite soundtrack?

Oh god that’s such a hard question the whole game has certified bangers. The musicians at Studio Thumpy Puppy were not messing around or pulling any punches. The soundtrack of the game elevates literally every emotional beat. If I was forced to choose only one song out of the soundtrack my favorite track in the whole game has to be “How Can You Help Me, Stardust?” aka the theme that plays when you fight Loop at the Favor tree during act six. Hearing that for the first time while getting the full context of loop’s backstory made me go crazy. It was so fucking emotional and well done. That and it’s just objectively a super intense high energy song that makes me wanna dance around. If anyone deserves the coolest fight theme in the game, it’s Loop.

5- favorite optional event?

Ooh this is also a hard one! I adore a lot of the optional story events because each of them really shed light on Siffrin’s mental state /characterization, as well as gives depth to other aspects like the other character of the world building as a whole which strengthens the themes of the story. Aside from the obvious choice (2Hats Ending/ Act six loop encounter) I think my favorite optional event would have to be the “Who Was Phone” achievement (Change God event). There’s something so fascinating about learning about the Change God. Someone who clearly adores their certified little guy (Mirabelle) and is willing to offer words of kindness and assurance in her identity even if it knows she won’t remember in one instance..and then in the very same breath tell Siffrin that they enjoy watching Siffrin in the timeloop torment nexus because they’re curious to see how they change in a situation where everything is forced to stagnate. It was so genuinely fucked. I will think about it always forever.

15- anything you’d change about the game? be it game mechanics, a new feature, a change in plot, etc

Overall I’m pretty satisfied with the game both in story and gameplay actually. I think Adrienne did a good job writing and expanding on the characters and story that was set up in the prologue. The quality of life in terms of gameplay got improved since the previous game as well ( those who played the prologue can attest to this) . The fact that it was a in universe story reason as to why makes it all the more satisfying (if you want to know what I mean by that please read my mutuals @felikatze analysis about it here.)

I just am happy that Siffrin got to be happy in the end and stay with their family, to be able to talk things out and escape the loops. I know some people didn’t like that or expected a more darker/sadder ending or wanted the gameplay to be more challenging … my response to that is Literally Just Play Start Again: A Prologue. To me it would be extremely reductive to have Siffrin just suffer with no reprieve or escape from the loops (because that’s just a repeat of what happened in its predecessor) or have the group just split off from each other immediately after everything happened. It would have been extremely unsatisfying and ultimately missing the point of the themes of the game as a whole gonna be real lol.

The only things I’d maybe change or add is like it would’ve been cute to see Euphrasie and Claude be together/ reunite on screen in act 6. They should kiss. Lol. (That and just I would’ve personally loved to see Euphrasie in canon expanded on a little more but that’s not necessarily needed she serves her purpose in the narrative. I just like analyzing her and giving her more depth and I like when others do too, but that’s what fanart/ fics and aus are for so I’m not fussed.) 

I don’t mind that the game is sort of open ended and doesn’t answer all the questions. I think that gives artists, fanfic writers, Au makers and people who like to analyze the game more freedom to come up with their own interpretations for things that happened in pre canon and post canon which to me is more interesting. I know Loop disappearing at the end of the game in both endings is sad/ bittersweet but I wouldn’t necessarily change the way that was structured either. I like that their fate was ambiguous because it leads the viewer to come up with their own theories as to where they went. ( personally I love seeing stuff where loop gets to travel on their own and form a new life and identity outside of the loops and learn to heal, as well as post game getting to meet back up with the party and learn to navigate this new life/ change one step at a time. )

[pink-pumpkin-princess-bitch]

Soooooo I've been thinking of writing a Loop-centric Isat fanfiction, and I'm in very early stages of desicions with it. So I wanted to do my own take on a Human Loop design, with the idea that getting a physical idea of what I want Loop to look like will help influence some of the earlier chapters (Since my brain is thinking of later chapters way too much).

Design Choices and Thoughts below the cut, with spoilers and a whole lot of rambling!

So firstly, technically, there's actual colours I chose there. I'm not gonna spell out everything, but the jacket features an oxblood red leather and some yellow highlights. Their right eye was red (blind left eye is black with white pupil cus it's still blind), and the necklace's gem was a bright shining yellow like a star. The metals feature Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver mainly. All of these I manually shifted into greyscale. It looks very funny with the rainbow in the background.

The first big choice I made was to add so many scars. Like jesus so many. I was inspired by a fic called The Art of Sharing by Kamary on AO3 which has Loop keep the injuries they sustain in the loops. I had some different ideas though. Specifically, each scar Loop has is from something that damaged them more than once. Each one is a reminder of a mistake repeated. The more it repeated the more visible the scar. I have some bigger ideas for some specific scars to implement but the biggest one, clearly, is the hand.

Or more, the Arm. Loop favoured an arm for dunking into the tears to loop back, and they where recklace with it. While I like how Kamary did a similar thing, I had a different idea for it. What if they burned. What if they melted. What if whatever became of your hand or arm was just not compatible with You anymore. So, Loop now doesn't have their right arm. And they get a Crafted prosthetic. I wanna make this a continuous point in the fic. I imagine most have Change God imagery, and I imagine that makes Loop a tad... uncomfortable. I imagine them dealing with a basic one but then learning how to make one themself. Add onto how they hate being in any House Of Change now, as all of them, in a little way, of the House Of Dormont, and they struggle to learn nearly as easily as they could. Eventually, they make something their happy with. Something sharp and sleek and shiny and Different. (As a general rule I like to think people with different kinds of Craft at their disposal end up generallly having different affects on the things they use their Craft on. A Craft doll made by Odile would be different from one made by Isabeau, for instance. With how much Wish Craft Loop has, I imagine anything they make to look a bit Different).

Now for the outfit itself. I do love seeing people embrace Loop being more open to showing skin, and with the scars too it makes for a striking look. And I think that's the biggest key difference between Loop and Siffrin. Loop uses Confidence and Flamboance as their shield, as their diversion from their insecurities. I remember seeing someone mention about how, when they walk into a room looking visually striking, coloured hair and piercings, everyone in the room knows 1 thing about them. But by those people's reactions to that person, they know Everything they need to know about those people. I feel like Loop would lean into that heavily. Odile is smart and catches onto things quickly. Isabeau equally so and even more emotionally intellegent. And Loop uses their abrasiveness to gauge people extremely quickly. In a way Loop's disregard for how people see them helps them here. This influenced a lot of how I designed them, using these as key points of difference with Siffrin.

The hat had the least thought in it. Loop feels lost without a hat, but refuses to take Siffrin's and refuses to have anything like Siffrin's hat. They spent so long being someone other than Siffrin. In a way, it helps them cope with losing their own party. Helps them move on. It also on the same note helps them ignore how much it affects them. This hat is technically the Plague Doctor hat acording to Heroforge. I just took it as a decent leather hat with a brim. Enough to distinguish themselves from Siffrin, but close enough in feel to their old hat. They absolutly needed something with some kind of brim, both because they hate the sun and because they, like Siffrin, love hiding their face when they're having emotions.

The jacket I thought a lot about. I wanted them to have something long but not as long as Odile's. They like flowy things, but also something more open. Also, pockets and belts to stash and hide things. If anything they're more prone to picking up everything not bolted down than Siffrin! This combined with the simplest and nicest tanktop/binder tied the whole thing together. Very 'Hot Girl Shit' vibes.

The glove was because handling things without Siffrin's gloves felt extremely weird. They needed something. But also, damn their nails look killer with the dark varnish on, matches their makeup so nicely! They absolutly NEED to show that off or they will DIE!! They chose one with metal knuckles because at any moment they need the ability to deck someone. It's how they use their Rock crafts, with a mean Left Hook (They're debating renaming one of them to "Left Plot Hook" to keep the puns but also dipping into specifically narrative puns. This is a debate between Sif and Loop and sometimes the rest of the party through the whole fic).

The necklace was because they've grown so, so used to something shimering and shining under their chin, they needed something bright again. It draws the eye. It catches people's attention. It was a gift from Isabeau because "it reminded him of how they looked before being human" and Loop's heart decided to remind them it exists with a vengance and now Loop refuses to take it off ever. It just looks neat that's all there is to it yep.

Loop found a section in a shop dedicated to belts and decided then and there that they where gonna wear multiple. They now strive to collect one from every town they visit. It also adds to the Pretty Noise agenda a little. But not as much as

THE BOOTS!! Loop finds them in the armoury and is immedietly captivated, but then remembers The King. Those Gauntlets. And then ponders if knightly armour is a generally attractive thing where they're from, not that Siffrin ever indulged. But then they put them on and THEY GO CLINK CLINK WHEN THEY WALK!! They're suprisingly quiet, the heel making the most noise. They CAN be louder if they want, but all their sensibilities as a Rouge lets them be at least a bit quiet in them. AND THEY SHINE AND THEY GO CLINK CLINK AND THEY'RE STRIKING AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEM! Ahem. I mean. They do look nice. They're not Giddy over boots. Stop smiling like that.

For now this is their main gear, but I can imagine them getting more clothes as they go on. Stars they want changes of clothes. Different outfits. Before the loops they could never care about fasion or makeup or anything but now, anything for a Change. It's funny, they do have to admit how nice the freedom of Changing is, even if it's just clothes.

Anyway that's my rambles for now! I think I could go on for hours but I've already written so much! If I don't stop now I'll just start writing the fanfiction here!! Please share your thoughts with me my brain is going so so fast and I love seeing human Loop thoughts (this sin't even all my human Loop thoughts this is just what matters to the outfit).

[felikatze]

most ancient dream loop actually isn't what i have planned in my au but I need you to know that ever since i read your tags Ive been rotating it in my head. IT'S SO FASCINATING. because in the end it's still all their fault. it's still just them being so, so lonely and loving too much. Im insane Im insane Im not normal. Im insane. Im crazy. IM CRAZY. in this hypothetical would it not be siffrin who tries to kill OD, but OD who tries to kill siffrin. would siffrin look nothing but human, and loop the monster... but loop is the one who looks at siffrin, and hisses, "monster." It's just so isejis jeoejrkvmo33iu394i#&[$*$[2[3[=*#×(@,@**$

IT'S NOT YOUR PLAN??? it felt the obvious choice with kdj siffrin. though. upon consideration. bihyung loop would be funny as hell also.

BUT LIKE. A. YEAH. it came to mind bcuz of the homocide dynamic also. AND. WAIT. I JUST HAD A BRAINWAVE. ANCIENT DREAM IS THE FIRST ITERATION OF KDJ. LIKE. LOOP. and the whole of wos & orv exists to save MAD. the same way that Loop needed Siffrin to see how to keep on living. The same way Loop watches Siffrin over and over again, the way Loop has reduced their friends and family and themself to characaters that all ends when these characters reach through the page to hold them.

(Thinks abt MAD and the 999th gang in this context. Sobs)

it IS an interesting reversal that Loop sees Sif as a monster out of their own jealousy, whereas KDJ is disgusted by MAD bcuz MAD represents his lowest point and deepest insecurities he wishes gone. It's deeply similar I think in that Loop also sees Siffrin as their naive stupid past self and perceiving their own vulnerabilities through Siffrin registers as a threat to them.

In a Loop as MAD scenario it is also vry easy to spin Loop attacking Sif instead bcuz thru wos kdj continuously distances himself from what a "person" is often to focus on pragmatism that leads to the emotional hurt of his friends and also as a vehicle of his repressed suicidality. And seeing Sif so distanced from a "person" through the loops as well when Sif nonetheless got everything Loop ever wanted as Loop clung desparately to the last remnants of themself that Siffrin willingly let go, they would be mad, I imagine.

(ofc you said your AU isn't 1:1 so like, no scenarios probably. Actually do you keep scenarios and constellations or does Mirabelle just timeloop bcuz she keeps dying to the King ICAC-style?)

tldr: many thoughts. your mind is an enigma to me if it is not MAD Loop to KDJ Siffrin.

if it is actually bihyung Loop though I will laugh so fucking hard I'm making myself giggle over it

[loop-lover-central]

Well since you are I'll give you a little treat

Some of my thoughts I made while making it and the choices why!

YAY!!! Read more Incase this gets long because I love yapping 🩶

A little closer.

Anyways let's just go head to toe with this big fella!

The head: I wanted them to look like the back of their head was exploding out, like it how people like to draw them after they ate that star with the wish literally blowing up their head. Originally their whole head was just a white mass to contrast Bigfrin but I didn't like it. So I added the black and thought it looks cool as hell.

Eyes: Made them red with star pupils as a nod to their true final form in game and also bigfrin. I also made them cry with anger as a nod to the king because the ~cinema~ but also because I feel like Loop deserves a big cry. And I used both of Loop's eye shapes. 'Half moon' as described by Siffrin when in their normal range of emotions and wide open as they're angry sprites. Also the blind eye is the angry one. Because they're blinding angry. Because genuine rage makes you blind or "see nothing but red".

Torso: You and others already pointed it out but I did make their chest star similar to the wish breaking. Because in the scenario Loop's wish WOULD be breaking. Because this is not helping Siffrin, this is hindering. I wanted to make them sorta decaying and drippy too, like they're falling apart for doing this but it just didn't look right when I tried it. Alas. Also the red gradient from Bigfrin ❤️.

Hands: HUGE CLAWED HANDS because I like to think Loop has a lot of "Oh I'm literally a monster" sort of thoughts post star-ification. And most general monsters are described as being big with claws that rip and tear. Also I made it sorta ambiguous if they're catching their own tears or clutching their chest star. Because both things are good. Are they clutching they're breaking heart wish? Or are they confused by their own tears. Who knows??

Leggies/footsies: They're kneeling. Another parallel to the king, yes, but also it's supposed to oppose Bigfrin standing tall, distancing themselves. Loop is getting close and personal. Or as much as they can as a Kaiju without just straight up laying down.

Extras: Lots of stars and dust flying around. Almost like... stardust flowing off a dying star's core. Hm. Wonder why that is? (Looks at my Loop is a white dwarf star propaganda that I need to post.)

Siffrin!!!: Lil guy. No hat. Is this because he ALSO bigged out in the scenario or did Loop bigging out blow it away? No clue actually (I put him there purely for scale and did not think about it.)

I PRESENT TO YOU ALL THE BIGLOOP

AKA what if Loop got a big end of world transformation

[wayward-stardust]

3, 11, 16, 51, 55

original post

(this one got a bit long)

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

I don't have a consistent process (it varies by fic/chapter, and whether it's a oneshot or part of a larger project), but the general idea is:

start by outlining, or at least writing down the basics of what happens in the chapter

start writing? i don't really know how else to describe it. When I'm working on the early stages of a chapter, I tend to jump around from scene to scene a lot, then in the later stages I'll fill in the gaps from beginning to end. If I need to make notes (wanting to look something up, or potentially rewrite a sentence later), I tend to mark them with [[double brackets]] so I can find and remove them later.

once I've written out everything, I'll give the chapter/oneshot a quick readthrough to make sure that everything's there and then copy over to ao3 (assuming I'm planning on posting it) where I'll do a second read-through to check formatting and do another typo pass.

I tend to edit as I go instead of doing multiple drafts, and my fics aren't beta-read, so the finishing -> publishing pipeline isn't that long

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

There are so many good fics out there that it's hard to pick just three, but (all three have isat spoilers. you've been warned.):

jamais vu by beaufort12 (my favorite isat fic, and it's not particularly close)

Crumbling by ohmaerieme

Dress Rehearsal by blueshine

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

Just counting ISAT fic ideas that I've actually got written down somewhere (there's at least one more that I can think of that's not): 6? 8 if you count my two published wip multichapters since those are technically ideas I'm working on.

One fic concept that's been on my mind for a while is my Loop character study fic where they happen to be aware of the fact that they're in a videogame (it ended up surprisingly canon-compliant). Unfortunately, the time I've spent thinking about it hasn't actually translated to words on a page.

51. What's your total AO3 word count?

As of the time of writing this, 50431 words (just hit 50k!) The majority of that is ISAT fic, actually (29587 words) (and a lot more if you count my wips).

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers' reactions to certain ones?

Favorite character in general, of the ones I've written for: Mirabelle.

Favorite character to write, of the ones I've written for: Siffrin. There's something really compelling to me about his internal monologue. Odile's also fun to write dialogue for, although I think I'd struggle more if I were writing her as a POV character.

[insertdisc5]

SASASAP POSTMORTEM TIME

I've heard real game devs do something called a POSTMORTEM. They allow themselves to talk about a game they released and stuff.

I'm a real game devs. My video game START AGAIN: a prologue has been released for a year on itch.io. Six months on Steam. As of yesterday it's now available in Japanese. Wow. POSTMORTEM TIME

Gigantic pile of text below about what I think worked about the game and what I think didn't, and other musings. You don’t need to read it. But you can. Spoilers for my game SASASAP which you can get here on itch.io and here on Steam!!! And the artbook for it is here, also, why not!!!

In case you're new, START AGAIN START AGAIN START AGAIN: a prologue (or START AGAIN: a prologue) (or SASASAP) is a story-driven RPG I released back in February 2021. It's been a year now, which is wild. I started making it back in July 2020, but it has a bit more history before that.

Back in 2017, I created this little comic just called "Yes >No". Just a little RPG character, a little fella (now Siffrin, the main character), stuck in a new game+ forever. I ended up liking the concept of a character knowing they're stuck in a video game time loop so much I made a few more small comics about it throughout the years. And then 2020 happened, and I was working from home, and I was bored, and I thought "well I could make a game." . . .

"Well no", I thought, "I can't make a whole RPG right away. That'd be stupid, that's just asking for trouble, I don't even know how to code. I'll make a demo for that RPG first, to learn how RPGMaker MV, the software I'm using to make it, works, and then I can make the actual game. But demo first." And that demo grew wings and is now SASASAP, which I released seven months later on itch.io, and on Steam 6 months later that (Steam's hard to figure out okay!!!). I'm currently working very hard on the next game along with my publisher Armor Games Studios, so stay tuned for news sooner rather than later, tee hee.

Ok intro over POSTMORTEM TIME

WHAT WORKED: -Great news! The game worked (more or less)

-Really glad i decided to use assets on this one. I used assets for many things in the game, like for icons, attack animations, many of the pixel environments, and more. I edited pretty much all of them if only to make them in black and white. Again: very glad i used assets, because making things from scratch is hard. USE ASSETS THEYRE GOOD.

-Working with no real release date in mind was nice. Didn't have the stress of "I have to finish this before this date!!!" (not to say I didn't have other stresses.) But that allowed me to just. Do whatever. Freedom!

-Overall I was worried about the story of the prologue not being enough, even though I forced myself to make something I might like playing, but apparently making something I'd like makes… a pretty darn good game? People really enjoyed the story and it made them feel things and many friends messaged me with a very upset "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME" once they finished playing so I'm very very very glad.

-Also surprisingly the True Ending (Note: SASASAP has 3.5 ways the loop can go, so 3.5 "endings") didn't seem hard to find for people??? I remember being very stressed out about whether people would find it, since i added the different endings in like. the last month of development probably. The way to get the True Ending is by getting enough "Weird Points" in a single loop, and there's two different ways to do so: either go straight for the keys to open the dungeon without looking at anything beforehand (which prompts your allies to go "hey how come you knew where the key was………"), or keep interacting with the environment and make choices that are Weird ("haha Siffrin you usually love puns and you just picked the "Don't go for the pun" choice, everything okay?"). Going for every single key right away gives you enough Weird Points to access the True Ending, and acting weird gives you a little at a time. I was worried about players seeing themselves as Siffrin and so they wouldn't take certain actions, but nah they clearly saw themselves as players separate from Sif and it was easy for them to go "Alright let's make Sif act a certain way so their friends notice." From the few streams I've seen, people managed by going straight for the keys for half of the keys, and getting over the ending threshold by acting weird. Woohoo!

-Speaking of the True Ending path, I did love seeing a few streamers see the Researcher go "…" in suspicion when you talk to her at the end of the first loop, and streamers went "OH FUCK SHE CAN FIGURE OUT WE'RE LOOPING OR AT LEAST THAT SOMETHING'S PROBABLY- TIME TO ACT WEIRD" yesssss this was on purpose I did good game design I succeeded

-Related: people did find most little secrets except ONE (or at least I haven't seen people mention it teehee (its not that big)). Anyway, I was worried about the number of little details/interactions I added because oh god I've heard people don’t like to read! And maybe they won't check things more than once!!! Maybe they won't care?!?? But the game did end up getting praised a bunch for its attention to details because of how much personality it added. Which makes me very happy!!!! And even if people don't find all the little things, someone else might and you get a cool "WOW I DIDN’T SEE THIS HOW DID YOU GET THIS?!??" moment. (This also meant some people's expectations SKYROCKETED like "oh if I do this will the game notice???" no sorry. Players mostly weren't mad about it though so WHATEVER)

-I made sure to leave a few hints of things to come, which means it has been very funny and interesting to hear people's theories. Thank you for thinking about the game. Genuinely one of the big highlights of making a story in multiple installments, not gonna lie

-I've seen a few people say they replayed the game a bunch to see everything? And some people didn't replay it a la Undertale because they were satisfied with the ending? WOW?!??!? The way people treat save files is so fascinating to me

-Also (I point at myself in the mirror) @ self I was right people liked the open ending. I think if the game is too long, an open/sad ending makes people mad. But if it's a short game it's like ah! Gotcha! Are you sad?!???! HA!!!!! SUCCESS and people aren't mad about it. Thanks for coming to my sad endings ted talk

-People also really liked the gameplay!!!! Wow!!!! Unexpected!!! The battle system was the thing I was the shakiest about. The Rock Paper Scissors weaknesses is simple enough but you still have to think about strategy… The skill to give away your turn was pretty inspired too if I do say so myself. (I'M GLAD THE BATTLES WEREN'T TOO BORING)

-The characters are all queer it's not important to the story you just need to know BUT TURNS OUT! I've gotten a few messages from people saying they were so glad one character was aroace, or that Siffrin using he/they pronouns made them realize they were nonbinary. IT IS: IMPORTANT, REPRESENTATION: MATTERS

WHAT DIDN'T WORK:

-GOD, THE STRESS AT RELEASE. GENUINELY ONE OF THE MOST STRESSFUL DAYS OF MY VERY YOUNG LIFE. I released the game on a weekend, and had to take a day off from work to rest from the stress, and I didn't even rest, and it DEFINITELY wasn't enough time off. Self, remember two days off is NOT enough to release a game. I would've said 4 at the very least, to do some marketing, answer ppl, fix bugs, etc. I did order a lot of takeout and was very gentle with myself. Thank you splatoon 2 for helping me take my mind off things -God I should've made way more people beta test it. Some pretty big and pretty easy to find bugs weren't caught. I know it's scary to show the game to people but you gotta do it for the beta test, for the QA, self!!! Be strong!!! (Well this doesn’t apply for the next game since I have a publisher now teehee. But remember for later.)

-The different endings and how to get them/what even constitutes as an ending was confusing. People got to the True Ending and wondered if they was more to it. I thought adding credits to it would make people understand it was the end, but nope! Not the case. People saw the other endings (aka: how a loop ends) less as actual endings and more as, uh, the way it's supposed to go I guess? Anyway I did end up adding items that you unlock after each ending that tell you which ending you got, but it was still confusing. That's my bad! Oops!

-I need to add more comments to my coding. Sometimes I look at old scenes and I'm like how did I even do this.

-Also, self, remember bug reports are NOT a reflection of how the poster hated the game, but more often actually a reflection of how they loved the game and want it to be even better. It's a sign of people loving the game. So dont stress out about it

-Hey self some bugs can't be fixed and you need to let it go. Reader, sorry if you fell on a bug I didn't manage to fix. At this point I don't know how to fix it and I'm sorry!!!

-Not that it "didn't work", but maybe I should've talked about the game more often to build hype. I managed to get a reasonable amount of hype by talking and showing screenshots a month before release, but talking about it for the whole 7 months could've been good, instead of being a hermit game dev. Yeah. (Is still a hermit game dev)

OTHER THOUGHTS: -I didn't add many tutorials because I'm a hashtag Gamer, but tbh more tutorials/reminders are better than none. I noticed a few streamers didn't remember SHIFT is to run, or how to open the menu. REMIND PLAYERS HOW TO PLAY EVERY SO OFTEN!!!! THEY HAVE TINY BRAINS!!!! ITS NOT THEIR FAULT!!!!!!

-Some people said "weh weh game price too high!!!" but consider this: it's not. 12$CAD for a 3-4h game seems good for me, because I always compare it to movie tickets… A movie is like 10$, for 2 hours, so that's 5$ per hour. Bang for your buck if you ask me!!! And also people in the video game industry told me they were happy I put it at that price bc it might make other indies price their own games higher, so. (I wink at the camera)

-This is very small but seeing people play has taught me to plan for every eventuality because some players like to do things just because they can. I know one player switched every weapon around, giving the housemaiden the researcher's weapon for example, to see what would happen (so you cant do that anymore now!!! locked!!!) and someone else grinded levels until level goddamn 99 (you start at lvl 45), just to see if they'd be able to beat the King on the first loop by being strong enough (you can't!), so like. Some gamers are unhinged (affectionate). I'm definitely keeping that in mind for the next game, so hopefully if you go unhinged the game either won't let you do it or will go "what the FUCK dude". Unhinged players: I love you thank you for playing

Postmortem done. Thank you for reading! Thank you for playing! Thank you for being here! The response to the game has been absolutely wild to me and I'm so thankful to anyone who played the game, drew fanart about the game, wrote theories about the game!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! BYE

[sonicthehedgehoglover2]

"Well… He's in deep shit" was their first conscious thought since the start of their little "VACATION" towards their new game. LOL… Lying on the grass, our dear player could only sigh and replay in his head the thoughts that had been haunting him for the past month…

Most of the time he managed to ignore these thoughts… If having these thoughts constantly present somewhere in the back of your mind could be called ignoring. Maybe… YES.

It was funny how much this game had changed their lives. A simple game that turned out to be something undeniably greater. LOL. What a cliched premise for a story… But it was true. Simple and unadulterated. And right now, they found themselves right in the middle of such a story. But now, taking a step back, they can finally admit it to themselves. They miss this game. They miss the characters that they managed to get to know. They miss Siffrin, they miss Loop… They… miss the feeling of being needed. That they… Matter. Matter, more than life itself (And not to say that their real life is bad, it's just… There's something about tragedy that doesn't let you tear your eyes away.)

They play with the feathers they've woven into their hair during this break (They're still shocked that such a function even exists, to attach feathers to hair… But you like the idea, so maybe you'll keep these feathers (You liked how Sif called you a stupid crow… And it's only your fault that you're a parasite now (and maybe… They're right. They both are.)))

If you've come to any conclusion during your break… it's that you want to help Siffrin reach the end. Preferably a happy one, of course, but that's as it turns out, honestly. And not because it's your duty (I wonder if maybe he himself was affected? And he just didn't notice it… Or to be more precise, he had no reason to notice it) But because… even if he screwed up… he still wants to see a happy ending to this tragedy for once.

… He hurt Sif. And that was a fact. He could and did make countless excuses, (and… just in case) but the fact remained. He caused harm. And he normalized it to such an extent that it LITERALLY took Stardust calling him a parasite for him to understand. … He could only thank God that his first reaction to being hurt was to run away. It… Gave him time to think, and come to an understanding.

Whatever game he was playing… somehow it turned out to be something more (he may be stupid, but he's not an idiot, thank you very much). And in this place… He was made to feel… Someone special. Someone worth remembering. And it hooked him. It was entirely possible that something had influenced him to be here, but influence or not, it was his choice to stay. (Something deep in his chest, burned with longing and desire. It was unbearable, to desire. How did this game make them start dreaming again?)

Back home, they quietly walked to their computer, and ignoring the relief and the desire to burst into tears, from the pain of resentment and betrayal (But you have no right to feel betrayed, do you? It's your fault) they turned it on. A familiar noise parted. And then, as if that terrible month of freedom that they had spent had never happened. As if those musicals never happened, as if going out with friends never happened, as if none of the attempts to live on ever happened (after all, it's all just a game… And you know better than that, sooner or later it will end. And then there will only be re-acting… Or life. As much as you would like otherwise, this cannot be your whole life. The fundamental and perhaps most important memory and experience that you had? Perhaps. But… Unfortunately, nothing more. And this is what you will have to accept. This is what this whole month has been. An attempt to accept. But then again. Your heart is too trusting to do this)) You sigh, looking at the app icon. Wishcraft, huh? then maybe… you did a little "ritual" on the go. It is unlikely to work but… who knows. It doesn't hurt to be careful. You sigh… You want so much in the world that it hurts… But more than anything in the world, you want to try to fix the damage you have done. You sigh… and start to speak

"Siffrin. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I hurt you, I broke you even more than you did yourself. … And let's be honest, I'll probably hurt you more in the future, whether I want to or not. But that's not what matters. What matters is that I was scared. I was scared, and to deal with that, I hurt you. Something that can hardly be fixed. I… I won't ask your forgiveness. After all, it's not something that can or should be asked. You're going through something that no one should… You trusted me. And I betrayed that trust. I'm sorry that I turned out worse than I should have been. … And I promise that I'll see you through. I promise that you can break the loops. I can't ask you for forgiveness… But I promise that I will try to become better. … maybe you were right when you called me a parasite. And… I'm sorry that I couldn't become something better. But I promise that even if I can't… I'll try to be something better."

There were things they didn't talk about. They couldn't, and they didn't want to. But if the next few dozen loops through tears and subsequent dreams of him being torn apart in rage and grief, in anger and disappointment, and talked about something… That was about the message being delivered. He was glad. After all… he deserved it. (And if in the last dream/loop, he was able to talk to him… and hug him… That was okay. (The fact that he was stabbed was expected but hurtful.) He might not be able to undo the damage he'd done… but that was okay. He could try. And maybe one day it would work. (For now… Time to get back on stage. (I wonder if Loop and Siffrin will hear him sing? That would be funny. Besides… He's a good singer.)